The 2019 FDSOA Apparatus Specifications & Maintenance Symposium was once again a highly informative event to learn about the latest features, products, and changes in the fire apparatus industry.
One of the key presentations was an update on the proposed changes to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. Several members of the audience were dumbfounded when they learned that one of the proposed changes was to allow fire departments to choose their own colors for the chevron striping on the back of apparatus.
Sadly, this is an initiative driven by the fire service, hopefully a vocal minority. Why would the manufacturers care? They would prefer to carry fewer colors in their inventory and not have to invest time in customizing each striping requirement, a cost that is not absorbed but passed on to the customer. The current requirements for chevron striping state, “Each stripe in the chevron shall be a single color alternating between red and either yellow, fluorescent yellow, or fluorescent yellow-green.”
What was the reason for the chevron requirement that became part of the standard 10 years ago? Safety for the firefighters working at the scene and to minimize the risk of the apparatus being struck from the rear. Has this requirement worked? There is no data system that captures such information, but there is plenty of history that shows it does. The European fire service has decades of history, not just one decade like in the United States. Obviously, the standard does not guarantee a firefighter or fire apparatus will not be struck, but it reduces the probability and indicates the fire department’s commitment to safety.
Ten years ago, roadway safety was becoming a big issue, and the forward thinkers realized that fire apparatus need to be as visible as possible. On reflection, those forward thinkers were absolutely correct about the dangers of operating on roadways, and their approach was sound. They realized that visibility is not just for nighttime but for daylight, dawn, and dusk. A key selling point on the idea was a photo taken from an overpass of a Plano (TX) Fire Department rig at a multilane incident several hundred feet away. It was a bright, sunny day, and the rigs were most conspicuous because of the fluorescent yellow and red chevrons.
Moreover, the forward thinkers were aware of the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This manual contains a section on temporary traffic control (TTC). Although the MUTCD does not prescribe specific requirements for fire apparatus, it states: “Traffic control devices shall be defined as all signs, signals, markings, and other devices used to regulate, warn, or guide road users, placed on, over, or adjacent to a street, highway, private roads open to public travel.”
“The basic safety principles governing the design of permanent roadways and roadsides should also govern the design of TTC zones. The goal should be to route road users through such zones using